Spiteful: The Heat Releases the Most Recent Dru Smith ACL Injury Reports

Heat guard Dru Smith will miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season due to a right knee injury, according to the team (Twitter link via Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald).

According to Chiang, the Heat referred to the injury as a third degree ACL sprain. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, this is essentially just an ACL injury.

It’s bad news for Smith, who injured his knee in Wednesday’s game in Cleveland and had an MRI. As previously stated, Smith fell awkwardly along the sidelines at the courtside drop-off area – head coach Erik Spoelstra blasted the court design after the game.

“It is a dangerous floor,” Spoelstra stated. “It’s a recipe for disaster.” You close out, and then you’re falling off a cliff. There would have been no incident if the court had been normal.”

Smith was on a two-way contract with the Heat during training camp but was moved to the regular 15-man roster before opening night, receiving a two-year, minimum-salary agreement with a $425K partial guarantee. In the first month of the season, he appeared in nine games, averaging 4.3 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per night on a.455/.412/1.000 shooting line.

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Zack LaVine is not being Targeted by the Heat.

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, the Heat aren’t aggressively pursuing a trade for Bulls guard Zach LaVine, and he’d be surprised if that changes. Miami had previously been mentioned as a possible destination for LaVine.

As Jackson notes, the Heat’s proximity to the tax aprons in the future is a key factor in their choice not to pursue LaVine. Moving Tyler Herro as the focal point of a LaVine trade would drastically boost the team’s salary in future seasons, since Herro is owing $120MM over the next four years, while LaVine is owed $178MM.

Herro is also five years younger than LaVine and is still developing as a scorer, so the Heat don’t want to give him up in a trade for the Bulls guard, according to Jackson. Another possibility would be to use Kyle Lowry’s expiring deal and other assets in an offer for LaVine, but that would result in even bigger tax penalties and more financial restrictions in future seasons, and LaVine and Herro have overlapping skill sets.

Essentially, as Jackson writes, it appears that the Heat do not consider LaVine to be a player worth ceding significant trade assets and sacrificing future flexibility for. The Bulls, on the other hand, are said to have set a high asking price for the two-time All-Star, therefore the two teams are unlikely to meet.

The Heat may be interested in guard Alex Caruso if Chicago makes him available, according to Jackson, but the team is unlikely to part up a first-round choice for the defensive stalwart. If that’s the case, Miami is unlikely to be the top bidder for Caruso, who is expected to draw a lot of attention.